Stopper for bottles and similar containers

ABSTRACT

A stopper for containers with a neck. The stopper includes a resilient and deformable tubular cylindrical assembly ( 20 ) that partially receives a pin assembly ( 70 ) through one end and a plug assembly ( 100 ) through the other end. The tubular cylindrical assembly ( 20 ) includes a central through opening ( 21 ) where the pin assembly ( 70 ) and the plug assembly ( 100 ) mate urging closer together as pin assembly ( 70 ) is rotated. The frustroconical distal termination of the plug assembly ( 100 ) pushes the end ( 22 ) of the tubular cylindrical assembly ( 20 ) towards the internal surface of the container neck achieving the sealing engagement that protects the contents of the container.

II. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a stopper for bottles, and moreparticularly, to a stopper that is reusable.

2. Other Related Applications

The present application is a continuation application of pending of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 10/296,484 filed on Nov. 22, 2002, which ishereby incorporated by reference. The parent application Ser. No.(10/296,484) was filed as a national phase application in US forPCT/ES01/00181 filed on May 10, 2001, which in turn claimed priority ofSpanish patent application serial No. P 200001355 filed on May 29, 2000,now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 2,171,350.

3. Description of the Related Art

Several stoppers for bottles have been developed in the past. None ofthem, however, includes a combination of a tubular cylindrical assemblywith a pin assembly and a plug assembly. The tubular cylindricalassembly has a central through opening that partially receives the pinassembly and the plug assembly in mating cooperative engagement. Theplug assembly has a discoidal head. A user rotates the pin assemblycausing the plug assembly to advance towards the discoidal head with itsfrustroconical end pushing radically outwardly the internal wall of thecentral through opening against the interior surface of the container'sneck sealing the interior of the container.

Applicant believes that a related reference corresponds to U.S. Pat. No.605,125 issued to Nutt on Jun. 7, 1898 for a stopper. Nutt's patentedinvention includes a device (A) being a rubber stopper that receivesexpanding device (B). However, in Nutt's patent, soft-rubber stopper “A”is inserted inside the neck and comes in contact with the internalsurface of the container's neck. This requires that the dimension forstopper “A” cooperate with the inner diameter of the neck. Spring-jaws 7expand outwardly and apply pressure on contact points on the internalsurface of stopper A. That is the manner in which sealing is achieved.In the present invention, the lower end 22 is deformed to achieve thesealing action in a more effective way. In Nutt, even if stopper “A” issoft-rubber, the pressure applied by spring-jaws 7 is not peripherallyuniform and the elasticity of the soft-rubber needs to be foughtadjacent to the bottom mass (marked as C by the applicant). In contrastwith the invention where the present invention deforms more easily andeffectively the lower end 22 to achieve uniform sealing action.

Applicant believes that another related reference corresponds to U.S.Pat. No. 1,307,755 issued on Jun. 24, 1919 for a plug for liquidcontainers. Ross' patented invention is a plug for liquid containersthat discloses the use of wedge member 2 of truncoconical shape thatinternally receives screw 4. Member 2 co-acts with main portion 10 asthe former advances when screw 4 is rotated. Ross requires the use ofsleeve 6 which co-acts with the edge that defines hole “B.” Wedge member2 does not deform main portion 10 to obtain the sealing action againstthe hole “B” edged. Rather, it merely tightens the engagement of mainportion 10. Furthermore, in Ross there may be leakage through the spacebetween wedge member 2 and sleeve 6. The present invention, on the otherhand, has a peripheral uniform seal around the internal surface of theneck.

Other patents describing the closest subject matter provide for a numberof more or less complicated features that fail to solve the problem inan efficient and economical way. None of these patents suggest the novelfeatures of the present invention.

III. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is one of the main objects of the present invention to provide astopper for bottles that uniformly seal bottles.

It is another object of this invention to provide a stopper for bottlesthat is easy to manipulate.

Another object is to provide a stopper that seals a bottle minimizingthe amount of air trapped when containing a liquid.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a stopperfor bottles that is reusable.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide such a device thatis inexpensive to manufacture and maintain while retaining itseffectiveness.

Further objects of the invention will be brought out in the followingpart of the specification, wherein detailed description is for thepurpose of fully disclosing the invention without placing limitationsthereon.

IV. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

With the above and other related objects in view, the invention consistsin the details of construction and combination of parts as will be morefully understood from the following description, when read inconjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 represents a cross-sectional exploded view of one of thepreferred embodiments for the stopper object of the present application.The bottle or container is partially represented.

FIG. 2 shows a cross sectional front elevational view of another of thepreferred embodiments for the stopper object of the present applicationinternally mounted to the neck of a bottle or container (partiallyrepresented).

FIGS. 3A; 3B; 3C; 3D and 3E illustrate a progression of the embodimentrepresented in FIG. 2 as it is mounted to the neck of a bottle orcontainer (partially represented).

V. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to the drawings, where the present invention is generallyreferred to with numeral 1, it can be observed that it is used withcontainers C having neck 10. Stopper 1 subject of the presentapplication includes tubular cylindrical assembly 20, pin assembly 70and plug assembly 100. Basically, cylindrical assembly 20 is partiallyand snuggly received within neck 10. Assembly 20 includes a centralthrough opening 21 that partially receives assemblies 70 and 100 inmating cooperative engagement. A user rotates assembly 70 causingassembly 100 to advance (assembly 20 is functionally held in placewithin neck 10) towards peripheral flange 76 with frustroconical end 108pushing the internal wall of lower end 22 against the interior surfaceof neck 10 sealing the interior of the container C.

One of the preferred embodiments is shown in FIG. 1. Tubular cylindricalassembly 20 is made out of a deformable and resilient material, such asrubber or equivalent. Cylindrical assembly 20 has an elongated tubularshape with elongated body 25 and upper and lower ends 26 and 22,respectively. The diameter of elongated body 25 is substantially thesame as the internal diameter of the neck of a bottle to achieve a snugfit that resists rotation of assembly 20. At end 26 of assembly 20,peripheral flange 23 is formed with underside 24. Peripheral flange 23extends beyond the internal diameter of neck 10 with underside 24.Peripheral flange 23 keeps a portion of assembly 20 outside neck 10.Central through opening 21 runs from end 26 to end 22. End 22 ispositioned in proximity to the internal surface of neck 10 with arelatively small separation that is traveled when frustroconical end 108pushes end 22 uniformly outwardly. It is to be noted that the sealingtakes place at the lower-most area of neck 10, which minimizes theamount of air trapped in container C. This is a desirable feature forsome contents, such as wine.

Pin assembly 70 is made out of a rigid material and includes peripheralflange 76 at end 73 with threaded shank 72 extending perpendicularly andcentrally therefrom and ending with distal end 74. Optionally, flange 76can be knurled. Peripheral flange 76 has substantially the same diameteras the diameter of peripheral flange 23, in the peripheral embodiment.

Plug assembly 100 is made out of a rigid material and has an elongatedshape with frustroconical end 108 including distal broader termination102. End 104 has a central opening 106 connected to internal adjacentcentral threaded cavity 110. Central threaded cavity 110 extends axiallywithin plug assembly 100 a predetermined distance from end 104. Threadedcavity 110 cooperatively and matingly receives threaded shank 72.Central through opening 21 partially receives assemblies 70 and 100.

Another embodiment for the present invention 1′ is shown in FIG. 2 andthe present invention is represented mounted inside neck 10. Axiallyextending threaded cavity 110′ is formed in pin assembly 70 and threadedportion 72′ is formed on plug assembly 100. Threaded portion 72′ ismatingly and cooperatively received by threaded cavity 110′.

A progression for mounting pressure stopper 1′ is represented in FIGS.3A; 3B; 3C; 3D and 3E. In FIG. 3A, pin assembly 70 is inserted throughcentral opening 21 from upper end 26. Plug assembly 100 is also insertedthrough central opening 21 from lower end 22 and threaded cavity 110′ oftubular cylindrical assembly 20 partially receives threaded shank 72′ ofplug assembly 100. In FIG. 3B, the partially assembled stopper 1‘isinserted through bottle’s neck 10 (partially represented) untilunderside 24 co-acts with upper end 11 of bottle's neck 10. In FIG. 3C,the user pulls out pin assembly 70 while he/she holds cylindricalassembly 20 in place. End 108 of plug assembly 100 in turn is urgedagainst end 22, so that cylindrical tubular assembly 20 houses shank 72′of plug assembly 100 and pin assembly 70. In FIG. 3D, pin assembly 70 isrotated and caused to travel axially housing shank 72′ within centralthreaded cavity 110′ toward end 108 thereby broader termination 102 todeform radially outwardly end 22 resulting in a sealed engagementagainst the internal surface of neck 10, as seen in FIG. 3E.

The foregoing description conveys the best understanding of theobjectives and advantages of the present invention. Differentembodiments may be made of the inventive concept of this invention. Itis to be understood that all matter disclosed herein is to beinterpreted merely as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

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 5. A bottlestopper, comprising: A) a deformable and resilient tubular cylindricalmember having an elongated body with first and second ends with acentral through opening, said first end including a first peripheralflange, and the diameter of said elongated body being substantially thesame as the diameter of the internal surface of a bottle neck; B) a pinassembly having third and fourth ends, said third end including a secondperipheral flange having substantially the same diameter as the diameterof said first peripheral flange and further including a threaded portionadjacent to said fourth end and extending a first predetermineddistance; and C) an elongated plug assembly having fifth and sixth ends,said fifth end having a frustroconical shape with the broader enddefining the distal termination of said fifth end and said sixth endincluding an opening with an adjacent central threaded cavity thatextends axially within said plug assembly a second predetermineddistance from said sixth end, said threaded central threaded cavitycooperatively receives said threaded portion within said central throughopening and said fifth end is urged against said second end so that saidcylindrical tubular member houses said threaded portion and said plugassembly being partially inserted within said neck and said threadedportion is rotated and caused to travel axially within said centralthreaded cavity toward said fifth end thereby causing saidfrustroconical shaped fifth end to deform radially outwardly said secondend resulting in a sealed engagement against said internal surface. 6.The stopper set forth in claim 5 wherein said tubular cylindrical memberis made out of a soft rubber material.
 7. A bottle stopper, comprising:A) a deformable and resilient tubular cylindrical member having anelongated body with first and second ends with a central throughopening, said first end including a first peripheral flange, and thediameter of said elongated body being substantially the same as thediameter of the internal surface of a bottle neck; B) a pin assemblyhaving third and fourth ends, said third end including a secondperipheral flange having substantially the same diameter of said firstperipheral flange and said fourth end including an opening with anadjacent central threaded cavity that extends axially within said pinassembly a predetermined distance from said fourth end; and C) anelongated plug assembly having fifth and sixth ends, said fifth endhaving a frustroconical shape with the broader end defining the distaltermination of said fifth end and said elongated plug assembly having anexternal threaded portion adjacent to said sixth end and extending afirst predetermined distance matingly receivable within said threadedcavity so that said cylindrical tubular member houses said threadedportion and said plug assembly being partially inserted within saidneck, said pin assembly is rotated causing said plug assembly to travelaxially within said threaded cavity toward said second peripheral flangethereby causing said frustroconical shaped fifth end to deform saidsecond end resulting in a sealed engagement against said internalsurface.
 8. The stopper set forth in claim 7 wherein said tubularcylindrical member is made out of a soft rubber material.